Artem Vyacheslavovich Ovcharenko (; born 31 December 1986) is a Russian classical ballet dancer. He is a principal dancer with the Bolshoi Ballet and a guest artist with the Hamburg Ballet.
Life and career Ovcharenko was born on 31 December 1986 in Dnipropetrovsk, Ukrainian SSR, Soviet Union. He began studying ballet at the Dnipropetrovsk State Choreographic School when he was 11 years old.Artem OVCHARENKO. Ballet dancer. BOLSHOI Theatre (subtitle), interview by Siberia TV. At the age of 17, he entered the Bolshoi Ballet Academy where he participated in the Academy's tours to the U.S., Greece, Germany, China and other countries. He graduated in 2007 and was admitted to the Bolshoi Ballet in the corps de ballet. His mentor was Nikolay Tsiskaridze and within one year he was given the leading role in the ballet The Nutcracker. From 2009 he studied under Nikolai FadeyechevBolshoi Official Site and since 2016 his repetiteur has been Victor Barykin.
Ovcharenko's repertoire covers most of the classical romantic roles: Romeo, The Prince in The Nutcracker, and Prince Siegfried, as well as leading roles in neoclassical productions such as George Balanchine's Apollo and Jewels, Lady of the Camellias by John Neumeier, Onegin by John Cranko, Lost Illusions by Alexei Ratmansky, and Marco Spada by Pierre Lacotte. Ovcharenko has had much success in the contemporary ballets staged at the Bolshoi, such as Chroma by Wayne McGregor, Classical Symphony by Yuri Possokhov, and The Taming of the Shrew by Jean-Christophe Maillot.
Ovcharenko has participated in the Bolshoi Ballet tours to Asia, Europe and Americas, and as a guest star in international companies such as Berlin State Ballet, Les Ballets de Monte Carlo, Hamburg State Opera, and also at international ballet festivals and national culture projects.
Ovcharenko took part in some prestigious dance competitions, receiving gold at the Tanzolymp in Berlin in 2006, and another at the Arabesque competition in Perm in 2008. In 2009, he won a Special prize "To the best partner" at the International competition of ballet dancers, and was awarded with "The Rising Star" nomination. In 2010, he took part in the International Festival "World Ballet Stars" in Donetsk, Ukraine. In January 2011, he performed with Bolshoi principal, Nina Kaptsova at the 6th Prague Ballet Gala, and in August, he danced with Anna Tikhomirova, at the closing gala-concert of the 8th Congress of the World Federation of UNESCO Clubs, Centres and Associations in Hanoi. In July 2012, he and Anna Tikhomirova participated in Rossiya K's "Grand Ballet Project" (televised in December 2012), where they were awarded the Grand Prix as "Best Ballet Duo".
In 2013, Ovcharenko was promoted to the rank of Principal dancer of the Bolshoi Ballet.
Roles
The Bolshoi Repertoire
2007 Policeman in Cipollino, Genrih Mayorov's production French Doll in The Nutcracker, Yuri Grigorovich's production
2008 Soloist in Class Concert，choreography by Asaf Messerer Fisherman in The Pharaoh's Daughter, Pierre Lacotte's production Blue Bird in The Sleeping Beauty, Yuri Grigorovich's production The Prince in The Nutcracker, Yuri Grigorovich's production Soloist of Part III in Symphony in C, George Balanchine's production
2009 Frantz in Coppélia, revival and new version by Sergei Vikharev Grand Pas in Raymonda, Yuri Grigorovich's production James in La Sylphide, choreography by August Bournonville in a version by Johan Kobborg Little Count Cherry in Cipollino, Genrih Mayorov's production Albert (friend to Phoebus, creator of the role at the Bolshoi Theatre) and Phoebus in La Esmeralda, choreography by M. Petipa, production and new choreographic version by Yuri Burlaka and Vasily Medvedev
2010 Romeo in Romeo and Juliet, Yuri Grigorovich's production Petrouchka in Petroushka, choreography by Michail Fokin, staging and new choreographic version by Sergei Vikharev Jean de Brienne in Raymonda, Yuri Grigorovich's production Lord Wilson-Taor in The Pharaoh's Daughter, Pierre Lacotte's production – debut during the Bolshoi Ballet Tour to Beijing
2011 Count Albrecht in Giselle, Yuri Grigorovich's production – debut on 22 January 2011 Antoine Mistral in Flames of Paris, choreography by Alexei Ratmansky with use of the original choreography by Vasily Vainonen – debut on 26 March 2011 The First Dancer, Youth, and Robber's Leader in "Lost Illusions", Alexei Ratmansky's production – creator of the role (24 April 2011) Chroma, Wayne McGregor's production – appeared in the opening night performance in the Bolshoi Theater (21 July 2011) Symphony of Psalms, Jiri Kylian's production – appeared in the opening night performance in the Bolshoi Theater (21 July 2011) Blue Bird in The Sleeping Beauty, new version by Yuri Grigorovich – creation at the main stage of the Bolshoi Theatre (18 November 2011) Prince Désiré in The Sleeping Beauty, new version by Yuri Grigorovich – debut on 25 November 2011
2012 Student in Anyuta, Vladimir Vasiliev's production – debut on 1 February 2012 Siegfried in Swan Lake Yuri Grigorovich's production – debut on 18 February 2012 Soloist of Grand Pas des Eventeils in Le Corsaire, choreography by Marius Petipa, production and new choreography by Alexei Ratmansky and Yuri Burlaka Two couples in Classical Symphony, Yuri Possokhov's production – appeared in the opening night performance in the Bolshoi Theater (29 June 2012) Duet in Dream of Dream, Jorma Elo's production – appeared in the opening night performance in the Bolshoi Theater (29 June 2012) Apollo in George Balanchine's Apollo – debut on 5 October 2012 Prince Kurbsky in Ivan the Terrible, Yuri Grigorovich's production – creator of the role in the new version (8 November 2012) Piggy-Wiggy in Moidodyr (Wash'em Clean), Yuri Smekalov's production – debut on 22 December 2012
2013 Leading couple in George Balanchine's Diamonds – debut on 6 March 2013 Lensky in John Cranko's Onegin – debut on 14 July 2013 Marco Spada in Marco Spada, Pierre Lacotte's production – debut on 9 November 2013
2014 Armand Duval in Lady of the Camellias, John Neumeier's production – debut on 20 March 2014 Lucentio in The Taming of the Shrew, Jean-Christophe Maillot's production – debut on 5 July 2014
2015 Leading couple in Classical Symphony, Yuri Possokhov's production Hamlet in Hamlet, choreography by Radu Paklitaru – debut on 13 March 2015 Pechorin in A Hero of Our Time (Part 2 "Taman"), choreography by Yuri Possokhov – creator of the role (22 July 2015)
2016 Basilio in Don Quixote, Alexei Fadeyechev's production – debut on 6 February 2016
2017 Principal Dancer in Etudes, Harold Lander's production – debut on 19 March 2017 Leading dancer in George Balanchine's Rubies – debut on 1 April 2017 Conrad in Le Corsaire, choreography by Marius Petipa, production and new choreography by Alexei Ratmansky and Yuri Burlaka – debut on 20 October 2016 Nureyev in Nureyev, choreography by Yuri Possokhov, designed and directed by Kirill Serebrennikov – debut on 10 December 2017
2018 Vronsky in Anna Karenina, John Neumeier's production – debut on 24 March 2018 Konstantin (Kostya) in The Seagull, John Neumeier's production – debut on 29 April 2018 at the Hamburg Opera (partner — Alina Cojocaru as Nina Zarechnaya) Petrushka in Petrushka, Edward Clug's production – debut on 21 November 2018
2019 Leontes in The Winter's Tale, Christopher Wheeldon's production – debut on 5 April 2019 Leading Soloist of Part I in Symphony in C, George Balanchine's production – debut on 13 June 2019 Crassus in Spartacus, Yury Grigorovich's production – debut on 26 June 2019 during the Bolshoi Ballet Tour to Brisbane Count Albrecht in Giselle, Alexei Ratmansky's production — debut on 22 November 2019
2021 Konstantin Treplev in The Seagull, Yuri Possokhov's production – debut on 1 July 2021 Master in Master and Margarita, Edward Clug's production – debut on 2 December 2021
2022 Summer in Les Saisons, Artemy Belyakov's production – debut on 7 July 2022 Youth in Les Sylphides, choreography by Mikhail Fokine – debut on 30 November Lucien d’Hervilly in Grand Pas from Paquita, choreography by Marius Petipa in Yuri Burlaka’s version – debut on 2 December 2022
2023 Tomsky in The Queen of Spades, Yuri Possokhov's production – debut on 14 December 2023
2024 Romeo in Romeo and Juliet, Leonid Lavrovsky's production — debut on 5 April 2024
2025 Ballet Dancer in The Bright Stream, Alexei Ratmansky's production — debut on 14 March 2025 Ivan in The Little Humpbacked Horse, Maxim Petrov's production — debut on 29 May 2025 Petrouchka in Petrouchka, choreography by Michel Fokine, production and new choreography by Andris Liepa — debut on 12 July 2025 The Marquis Costa de Beauregard in Flames of Paris, choreography by Alexei Ratmansky with use of the original choreography by Vasily Vainonen – debut on 19 July 2025
Tours
2010 Tour of the Bolshoi Ballet at the National Centre for the Performing Arts, Beijing, China
Lord Wilson-Taor (Debut), Fisherman (The Pharaoh's Daughter, choreography by Pierre Lacotte according to the version of Marius Petipa)
2011 Tour of the Bolshoi Ballet at the Paris Opera, Paris, France
Antoine Mistral (Flames of Paris, choreography by Alexei Ratmansky with use of the original choreography by Vasily Vainonen)
As a guest artist with the Berlin State Ballet, Berlin, Germany
Phoebus (La Esmeralda, choreography by Yuri Burlaka and Vasily Medvedev, new version at Berlin State Ballet), with Iana Salenko
As a guest artist on tour of the Russian Ballet Theatre to Stockholm, Sweden
Prince Siegfried (Swan Lake, choreography by Vyacheslav Gordeev)
Chelyabinsk State Academic Opera and Ballet Theater, Chelyabinsk, Russia
Count Albrecht (Giselle, with Kristina Kretova)
2012 Tour of the Bolshoi Ballet to North America
Sony Centre for the Performing Arts, Toronto, Canada
Prince Siegfried (Swan Lake, choreography by Yuri Grigorovich)
Kennedy Center, Washington D.C., US
Frantz (Coppélia, choreography by Sergei Vikharev)
Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, Los Angeles, US
Prince Siegfried (Swan Lake, choreography by Yuri Grigorovich)
2013 Tour of the Bolshoi Ballet at the Ekaterinburg State Opera and Ballet Theatre, Ekaterinburg, Russia
The Leading Pair (Classical Symphony, choreography by Yuri Possokhov)
Five Pairs (Dream of Dream, choreography by Jorma Elo)
Apollo (Apollon Musagète, choreography by George Balanchine)
The Samara Academic Opera and Ballet Theatre, Samara, Russia
Prince Siegfried (Swan Lake), with Anna AntonichevaStars of the Bolshoi Theatre in the play "Swan Lake"(ru)
Tour of the Bolshoi Ballet at the Royal Opera House, London, UK
Prince Siegfried (Swan Lake by Tchaikovsky, choreography by Yuri Grigorovich)
Prince Désiré, Blue Bird (The Sleeping Beauty by Tchaikovsky, new version by Yuri Grigorovich)The Sleeping Beauty, Royal Opera House, London – reviewThe Sleeping Beauty - The art of growing up gracefully – review, The IndependentSunday Times: Staggering beauty – reviewThe Stage: The Sleeping Beauty – review
Antoine Mistral (Flames of Paris, choreography by Alexei Ratmansky)The Independent, The Flames of Paris – reviewThe Telegraph, The Flames of Paris – review
2014 Tour of the Bolshoi Ballet at the Paris Opera, Paris, France
The first dancer (Lost Illusions, choreography by Alexei Ratmansky)
Tour of the Bolshoi Ballet at Kennedy Center, Washington D.C., US
Albrecht (Giselle, choreography by Yuri Grigorovich)
Tour of the Bolshoi Ballet at Lincoln Center, New York, US
Prince Siegfried (Swan Lake, choreography by Yuri Grigorovich)Interview and photos by NYC Dance during New York tour
Tour of Bolshoi Ballet at the Grimaldi Forum, Monte Carlo, Monaco
Lucentio (The Taming of the Shrew, choreography by Jean-Christophe Maillot）
2015 Bayerisches Staatsballett, Munich, Germany
Armand (Lady of the Camellias, choreography by John Neumeier)
Tour of Bolshoi Ballet in Hong Kong, China
Antoine Mistral (Flames of Paris, choreography by Alexei Ratmansky)